What's in the "Basket" of Poverty-Focused Development Assistance (PFDA)?

March 2014

Bread for the World monitors a number of accounts within the overall International Affairs Budget (called the 150 Account) of the federal government’s budget. These accounts fund programs that touch on hunger and poverty, and these programs are carried out by a variety of departments and agencies scattered across the federal government. Bread refers to this work collectively as "poverty-focused development assistance (PFDA)."

The State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill funds the overall 150 Account. Examples of PFDA accounts and their implementing departments/agencies are below:

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

Development assistance: Builds long-term, sustainable capacity, such as improvements in agriculture; safe, reliable water; and basic education and training.

International disaster assistance: Responds to human-caused and natural disasters; includes aid for health interventions, agriculture and food security, nutrition, water, and sanitation.

Department of State

Global health programs: Funds prevention, treatment, and care for people affected by HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis.

Migration and refugee assistance: Responds to needs of refugees by protecting people from conflict, providing humanitarian relief, and promoting sustainable solutions through established organizations.

Department of Agriculture

McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program: Provides U.S. agricultural commodities and financial and technical assistance to carry out preschool and school feeding programs in 16 countries. The program also supports maternal, infant, and child nutrition programs.

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Global Health Account: Provides technical assistance and expertise, in partnership with the State Department, to address global health concerns and communicable diseases.

Independent Agencies

Millennium Challenge Account: Funds country-proposed grants to reduce poverty and promote economic growth in countries that are governed justly, invest in their people, and have sound economic policies.

Inter-American Foundation: Provides grants to non-governmental and community-based organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean for sustainable and participatory self-help programs.

Connect with Us

Bread for the World is a collective Christian voice urging our nation’s decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad. By changing policies, programs and conditions that allow hunger and poverty to persist, we provide help and opportunity far beyond the communities where we live. Bread for the World is a 501(c)4 organization.